Jessie: Starting Over
by jj347
Summary: Two months after "Brooklyn Bionics," it's time for the twins to start high school. However, Mary's naïve mind soon becomes the target of some unwanted attention. Luke becomes more popular than ever, and ditches his sister. But when the bullying towards Mary starts to get out of hand, Luke must decide where his first loyalties are.BULLYING!Dedicated to all the bullied. I am one of u
1. Starting School

Chapter 1:

Starting School

AN: So, here's my new story! I hope you guys like it! I just want to say thank you to everyone who has followed and supported me since I first started writing on this site. It means a lot to me. Anyway, read on! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

_If people are trying to bring you down,_

_it only means that you are above them._

14-year-old Luke Ross, still half asleep, groaned as he stepped out of the elevator of his house. Walking lazily, he stumbled into the kitchen, and was met with his twin sister's agitated voice.

"Toast! Come on, toast you stupid toaster!"

Mary, his twin sister, was hunched over the counter, banging her hand against the side of the metal toaster.

Luke gave her a weird glance as he opened the fridge. "You alright there?" he teased, reaching for the carton of orange juice.

Mary resorted to staring at the toaster. "The stupid toaster won't work," she explained.

"Why don't you use your bionics?"

"I can't. They were going haywire this morning."

"Why?"

Mary shrugged sarcastically and turned to him. "Gee, I don't know. It's only the first time I'm going to ever step foot in a school, let alone interact with more than two people at a time. I'm just a _tad _nervous."

"Mary, it's school. It's not that bad."

"Really? Did you see your last report card?"

"Oh, come on! That was middle school! This is _high _school! We get freedom! Power! We get to be treated like adults!"

"The freedom thing doesn't concern me at all."

Luke rolled his eyes.

Mary finally ripped the plug from the wall. "So, tell me. What are the dos and don'ts?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean about school. What should I do and not do?"

"Mary, I wouldn't be asking _him _if I were you," said their older sister Emma, entering the room. "He's in the principal's office almost every day."

Luke turned to her indignantly. "Hey, it's a new school, and a new principal. Course, that also means new pranks." He smirked.

Emma roller her eyes. Then she turned to her sister. "You're nervous, aren't you?" she said with a smile.

Mary grimaced. "Is it that obvious?"

Emma chuckled and put her arm around Mary's shoulders. "You'll be fine. Just stop stressing. All the kids at Walden Academy are super nice. Just act like you know what you're doing, and you'll get through fine."

"Are you sure?"

"Um, keep in mind that you're talking to one of the leading fashion experts of the 10th grade. Of course I'm sure!"

"Guys!" came Jessie's voice from the living room. "If you don't hurry, you're gonna miss your bus!"

Mary looked confused. "The bus doesn't wait?"

Luke chuckled. _This should be interesting, _he thought to himself.

* * *

Mary found out about the cruelty of the bus the hard way. She was the last of her siblings to get on, and she had barely taken two steps down the center aisle when the driver had slammed on the gas peddle, making Mary fly backwards.

"Hurry up and get in a seat," he called back to her.

Luke stood from where he was sitting, grabbed her arm, and hauled her into the seat next to him. "You okay?"

Mary nodded. "Yeah. Is he always like that?"

"Only when losers get on the bus," said a snobby voice behind them.

Mary turned to see a red haired girl sitting about two seats behind them, and on the other side of the isle.

"Leave her alone, Bryn," Emma said from the seat next to them.

Bryn gave Mary a dirty look, but said nothing.

Luke pulled on Mary's forearm to get her attention back to him. "Now," he said in a serious tone. "When you get to school, remember that I only have gym, computer, and Spanish with you. The rest of the classes, you're on your own. And whatever you do, DON'T mention anything about Detroit."

Mary was confused. "Why?"

"Just don't say anything. They don't need to know that you just got adopted, and they really don't need to know that dad is in prison."

"But, what do I say?"

"Just think of something. Got it?"

Mary nodded.

Ten minutes later, after dropping off the middle schoolers, including Ravi and Zuri, the bus pulled up in front of Walden Academy High School. As the high schoolers shuffled out, Mary cast a look behind her, and did a double take.

Bryn was staring at her, as if her eyes were boring through her head to try and make it explode. Mary must have looked a little confused, because then Bryn mouthed, _Watch your back. _

Mary felt her stomach do a flip-flop, but quickly shook it off, and hurried after her brother, stepping off the bus into the cool September air.

* * *

AN: So, what'd ya think? I hope you liked it! This story is dedicated to all those who have been bullied, like me. I know it's hard, but it always gets better! Trust me! Anyway, I hope you like this story! And remember: Please review! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	2. An Interesting Start

Chapter 2:

An "Interesting" Start...

AN: Here's chapter 2! Thanks to everyone who read the first chapter! I hope you liked it! And I hope you like this one! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

When the three entered the school, they went first to their lockers, then to homeroom, which Mary also did not have with Luke. Luke's homeroom, room A10, was close to the front doors, but Mary's, room B37, was a good distance away, and it took her a good ten minutes to locate it. She entered the room slightly uncertainly, glancing uneasily at the groups of children clustered about. Seeing an open seat in the very back far corner, she hurried to it, trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. She sat down on the seat hard, sighing to herself. It was only 7:43 in the morning, and she was already exhausted. Maybe this school thing wasn't such a good idea after all.

About two minutes after Mary arrived, the bell rang, and the class took their seats. Their teacher stepped to the front of the front of the room.

"Good morning, freshmen," she said with a smile.

The class groaned.

She laughed slightly. "My name is Mrs. Foster, and I'll be your homeroom teacher. I'll also be teaching 9th grade English. Although I'm sad to say I'll only have half of you. Mr. Richardson in room F115 will have the rest." She stepped behind her desk. "Now," she began, grabbing a large blue binder and opening it. "Role call. Adams?"

"Here"

"Crell?"

"Here"

Mrs. Foster went down the list of students in alphabetical order. Eventually, she reached Mary.

"Ross?"

Mary didn't feel entirely comfortable talking, so she tentatively raised her hand.

Not hearing a voice, Mrs. Foster looked up and scanned the room. "Ross?" she repeated.

Finally, she spotted Mary's hand. She smiled. "Well, speak up, child. There's nothing to be afraid of."

Mary put her hand down as a few snickers sounded about the room. As Mrs. Foster went back to her list, Mary felt eyes on her, and heard certain words like "new girl" and "weird."

Just as Mrs. Foster finished role call, the second bell rang, signaling to the students to head to 1st period. For Mary, that was computer. Which, she thankfully had with Luke.

* * *

When Mary sat down in her assigned computer seat, she felt her stomach sink. Bryn was next to her. And while she didn't particularly bother her, Mary still wasn't too keen. What was

"Aw," Bryn said, keeping her voice low so that the teacher wouldn't overhear. "If it isn't the poor little rich girl."

"Excuse me?"

Bryn laughed slightly. "Don't act like we don't know. The Ross's just adopted you. And from what I hear, it was from a hobo jungle."

Mary rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

The remainder of the period was a disaster. The teacher went much to fast on the lesson, and Mary, having hardly any experience with things like Microsoft, was completely lost. Bryn, however, found it thoroughly amusing.

By the time the class ended, Mary felt like slapping Bryn across the face. Why was it funny when she made a mistake? Bryn herself wasn't that good with computers, and Mary didn't laugh.

As the bell rang, Bryn "accidentally" bumped her arm into Mary's books that were stacked on the desk. They hit the floor with a _bang!_

Mary sent Bryn a glare as she and her friends giggled.

Luke came up next to her. "You okay?" he asked with a chuckle.

"Yep. I'm...just, clumsy, that's all."

After Mary had gathered her books, the two headed out the door together towards their next class. Which, while they did not have it together, they were in the same hallway.

"So," Luke asked his sister. "What do you think so far?"

Mary laughed a little. "About school? It's okay. Bryn could be a little nicer..."

"Eh, she doesn't mean it. She's one of the nicest girls in the school." Luke stared dreamily off into space. "And she's pretty..."

Mary rolled her eyes. "Okay, lover boy. If you're done, I'm gonna go to chorus."

Luke laughed. "Have fun with the choir weirdos, you geek," he called.

Mary sighed as she walked away. She knew her brother had meant the comment teasingly, but she couldn't help but contemplate it.

She wasn't a geek..._was she? _

* * *

AN: So, there's the second chapter! Thank you so much to _Guest_ for reviewing! It really means a lot! Anyway, I hope you guys liked this chapter! Please review! Oh, and just as a warning: I rated this story T because it's going to get a lot darker in the future. Not immediately, but eventually it will. Just thought I'd warn you a head of time. Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	3. An Interesting Message

Chapter 3:

An Interesting Message

AN: So, here's chapter 3! Thanks so much to Guest and izzy for reviewing! It means so much! Anyway, here's the next chapter! I hope you guys like it! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

The rest of the day was a little better for Mary, which she was thankful for. Bryn gave her a few looks, but did and said nothing else.

When Mary dropped down into the bus seat that afternoon, Emma popped up from the seat behind her.

"Soooooo, how'd it go?" she asked her younger sister in a taunting voice.

Mary chuckled. "It was fine. How was it supposed to be?"

"You make any friends?"

That made Mary's smile fade a little. "No. I think they actually tried to avoid me."

Emma rubbed her shoulder. "Oh, come on. It's only because you're a freshman. And besides. You're new. All the new kids either get ignored their first few days, or they get so bombarded with attention that they can't stand it. All the freshman are confused right now. Once they get settled, I'm sure some of them'll talk to you."

"You sure?"

"Remember you're talking to one of the-"

"-leading fashion experts of the 10th grade! I know!" Mary playfully swung at her sister as Emma laughed.

About a minute later, Luke climbed onto the bus. As he headed back to the high school section, he locked eyes with his twin. But instead of coming to sit with her, he quickly looked away, and dropped into a seat with a boy who he promptly fist bumped.

Mary was a little hurt, but she shrugged it off. After all, her brother had his friends. All she had to do was find some of her own. That couldn't be so hard...

_could it?_

* * *

The bus ride home was much longer than in the morning. Since the Ross kids were the last ones picked up in the morning, that meant they were the last ones dropped off after school. Which also meant that they had a forty-five minute bus ride.

About five minutes in, Mary took out her phone and put her earbuds in. She had the volume of her music on full blast, which was why she didn't even realize that someone had sat down next to her until she felt them pull one of her earbuds out.

Turning towards the person, she was slightly confused when she saw who it was. "Ravi? Are you even allowed to be back in the high school section?"

Ravi smiled smugly. "The driver did not notice me come back," he answered. Then he turned serious. "Why is Luke sitting with Finch and not with you?"

Mary shrugged. "Cause that's where he decided to sit." At that point, Mary's phone buzzed, indicating a message. She quickly typed in her password.

Ravi thought that was slightly unkind of Luke, although, what could he really expect? "Do not worry, sister. I shall sit with you."

Seeing Mary's expression change, he turned slightly concerned. "What is the matter?" he asked his sister.

Mary looked at the phone number in confusion. It was an unknown number, that wasn't what made her stomach twist. It was the text.

_Hey, scumbag. Klutz much?_

Mary turned her phone off and looked back to her brother. "Nothing. My battery's just almost dead, that's all."

* * *

AN: So, I know that chapter were was kind of crappy, but it'll get better! I promise! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	4. A New Friend?

Chapter 4:

A New Friend?

AN: So, here's chapter 4! I hope you like it! And a big shout out to DisneyChannelLover! Thank you so much for the awesome review! It really made me smile! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Jessie eyed the five children sitting before her carefully. Emma and Zuri were talking, and Ravi was quiet, which wasn't unusual for them. What was unusual, however, was the twins. Luke was talking to his sister, but Mary wasn't as talkative. Every so often, she would glance down at her cell phone. This didn't exactly worry Jessie, but it put her on edge.

"So, how was your day?" she asked no one in particular.

For a moment, no one answered.

Then Emma muttered under her breath, "Bryn doesn't like Mary."

Mary shot her sister a look, before being met with Jessie's skeptic gaze. "You got on Bryn's bad side?"

"No. She's just...not too keen on me."

At that moment, Mary's cell phone rang. She glanced down at it, and Jessie could see a change in her expression.

"Who's that?" she asked.

Mary gave a nervous laugh. "Oh, it's just...Marco." She stood up. "Jessie, can I go to my room?"

Jessie glanced at Mary's plate. "You don't wanna eat? You've hardly touched your food."

"I'm...not really hungry."

Jessie was suspicious, but she nodded.

Mary left the kitchen as quickly as possible, and darted up back stairs. Hurrying to her room, she closed the door and glanced at her phone. The anonymous caller had since hung up, but they had left two messages, in addition to the dozens of hateful messages that they had left throughout the past two hours. Mary exhaled a deep sigh, then was about to hit _clear messages_, when a new message popped up. Mary clicked on the link.

_I hate you, you loser. You're nothing. _

Mary felt a tear slide down her cheek as she deleted the messages. This school thing really wasn't such a good idea after all.

* * *

The next day, there was a freshman class meeting after school, to welcome the 9th graders, and to introduce them to some of the clubs and activities that the high school offered. After the meeting, there were snacks in the cafeteria. Mary hadn't particularly wanted to stay, but Luke planned to hang out with his friends, and since Jessie was not about to pay two taxi fines to pick them up at separate times, Mary was forced to stay until Luke was ready to leave.

For the majority of the afternoon, Luke didn't truly keep track of his sister until the gathering was almost over. While sitting with his friends, Luke glanced to the side, and noticed Mary sitting at a table by herself by the door. Luke made a move to stand.

Finch looked at him in confusion. "Where are you going?"

"Over to my sister. She's all alone."

Luke's other friend, Jake, turned to him. "Wait, you're not gonna bring her over here, are you?"

Luke stopped. "Well, I was _gonna._"

Finch gave him a look. "Dude, she's weird."

Luke turned to him indignantly. "My sister's not weird!"

"Yes, she is," Jake said. "She always sits alone, and I don't think I've ever even seen her talk to someone. And she's in my history class. She's wicked smart, dude."

Luke still looked as if he was going to move.

Finch grabbed his ham sandwich off of his tray. "Look dude. You go over there, you're not coming back."

With that, Luke sat back down in his chair. He didn't even give his sister a second glance.

* * *

By Friday, Mary had concluded that lunch was the absolute worst time of day. There were no chaperones and it gave the children as much freedom as they wanted.

Mary sat by herself at the end of one of the tables. The downside: it was the only open spot in the cafeteria. And it happened to be the other end of Bryn's table.

Today, Bryn and her girls thought it would be amusing to throw little chunks of bread at Mary. After five full minutes of torture, Mary finally turned to Bryn with a menacing glare.

"Would you knock it off?"

Bryn looked a little taken aback. This was the first time Mary had actually said anything to defend herself. And Bryn didn't like it one bit.

"Come on, ladies," she said to her friends.

The group of nine girls stood up from the their seats and started to make their way towards the trashcans, which just conveniently happened to be on Mary's side of the cafeteria.

As she passed behind her, Bryn grabbed the near full bowl of salad off her tray, and promptly dumped it on Mary's head.

The group erupted into taunting laughter, then continued on their way.

Mary reached a hand up and began to slowly pull bits of lettuce from her hair.

"Need some help?" a voice asked behind her.

Mary turned. Standing behind her was one of Bryn's girls. Mary had seen her with them before. But the girl who had spoken to her had rarely, if ever, said anything mean to Mary.

Mary nodded.

The girl sat down next to her. "Bryn's just a little high strung. She doesn't mean any of it." She saw Mary's questioning look. "I'm Cady, by the way." She extended her hand.

Mary shook it very hesitantly. "You actually hang out with her?"

Cady looked a little guilty."It's not exactly by choice. Neither of us really like each other, but we used to be best friends, and everyone still thinks we are. It's more for image, really." Seeing Mary's face, she laughed. "I know that a cruddy reason."

Cady looked a little hesitant. "So...you wanna be friends?"

Mary thought for a second. Then she nodded. "Sure."

For a moment, Mary thought things might actually get a little better.

She had no idea that they were about to get ten times worse.

* * *

AN: So, what'd you think? Again, please review! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	5. Fight

Chapter 5:

Fight

AN: So, here's chapter 5! I hope you like it! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Two weeks later, Luke panted as he and the rest of the football players removed their helmets and joined their coach, Mr. Walton, on the sidelines. Finch and Jake had wanted to go out for football, and they had convinced Luke to do it too. And as it turned out, the three boys were actually very good at it.

Coach Walton cleared his throat. "Alright, boys. That's good enough for today."

Luke headed towards the bleachers, where Mary was sitting with Cady doing homework. As Luke got a little closer, Cady suddenly rose, and headed off towards the school's parking lot.

When he reached his sister, he nodded towards Cady's direction. "Where's she going?"

Mary didn't look up from her phone. "Her brother's here to pick her up."

Bryn and her girls descended from the top of the bleachers, where they were watching Bryn's boyfriend, Brett. As they walked behind Mary, Bryn casually stuck her foot out, knocking Mary's stack of books to the ground. She and her friends chuckled.

"Loser," she muttered as she walked away.

As Mary knelt down to pick her work up, Luke made no move to help his sister. "Feel free to stick up for yourself," he said quietly as he removed his jersey and shoulder pads.

Mary looked up at him. "Excuse me?"

"Mary, you let her walk on you, and you don't even defend yourself. You are allowed to say something, you know."

"What's it to you?"

Luke scoffed. "Um...it's a lot to me when people know I'm related to someone who gets picked on."

Mary slammed her books down on the metal seat. "Do you have to be such a jerk all the time?!"

Luke looked indignant. "Oh, I'm a jerk?!"

"Yeah, you are! You won't look at me. You won't walk with me in the halls. You won't even talk to me half of the time!"

"How can I?! People talk, Mary. Maybe the tutors didn't teach you that. But people don't like different."

"And I'm different?"

"Yeah! Maybe if you weren't so weird all the time, people might actually start to like you!"

"Hey!" Mary yelled. A few football players stared. "It's **not **my fault that Bryn's mean to me."

"And what, it's mine?!"

"If you want me to become like those snotty rich girls, then you're outta luck!"

Luke scoffed. "You know what? I'm done. I'm done trying to help you."

"Help me?! How do you even help me?!"

Luke took a step forward and jabbed his finger in Mary's face. "I want to have a reputation here, Mary. I want to make a name for myself. I want status. If you want to be a nothing for the rest of your life, that's fine by me. But don't ever speak to me. You're gonna get hurt, and I'm not gonna pick up the pieces."

With that, Luke grabbed his bag and headed off in the direction of the penthouse, not bothering to wait for his sister.

Mary sat down on the bleachers and cried.

* * *

The next morning, Emma, Luke, Ravi, and Zuri sat quietly at the breakfast table. Bertram stood at the sink, lazily filling it with soapy water. Jessie stepped to the bottom of the back stairs and called, "Mary! Hurry up! You're gonna be late!"

As soon as Mary's footsteps sounded on the stairs, Luke stood from the table. "I forgot something," he said. Then he left through the swinging door to go to his room.

Mary had heard her brother's comment, and when she arrived in the kitchen, she didn't step off the landing.

Jessie looked at her with annoyance. "Why are you still in your pajamas?"

Mary wrapped her arms around her torso, avoiding eye contact with her nanny. "I don't feel so good," she said quietly.

Now Jessie stepped towards her with concern. "What's wrong?"

Mary searched her mind rapidly for an excuse. "I'm...I'm just nauseous. And my throat hurts." It honestly wasn't a lie. Her stomach was in knots, and her throat _was _pretty sore, although she supposed it was because of how she normally slept, during the mere hour that she did sleep.

Jessie rested her hand on her forehead. "You're a little warm."

Mary waited as Jessie contemplated.

"Go back to bed," she finally said. "I'll call your school. L-...Where'd Luke go?"

As Mary headed to her room, Emma didn't look up from her phone as she answered. "He went back upstairs for something."

Almost on cue, Luke entered, mysteriously carrying nothing.

Jessie turned to him. "Luke, could you pick up Mary's school work at the end of the day today? She's sick."

For a second, Luke looked almost scared, but the expression left his face almost as quickly as it appeared. "Um...no, I can't."

"Why not?"

"We, um...we're not in a lot of the same classes..."

Jessie sighed. "Luke, I do not have time to get in a taxi and drive all the way down to your school. You're going to be there. Get her homework."

"I just said I can't." Luke said sharply.

Jessie looked like she was about to scold him for his backtalk, but Emma stepped in.

"I'll get her homework, Jessie," she said.

Jessie turned to her. "Thank you." She cast an annoying look at Luke, then left the room.

Meanwhile, upstairs, Mary sat down at her desk and rubbed her eyes. Opening her laptop, she quickly typed in her password, then logged onto her Facebook account.

And in the split second between when she saw her homepage and when she threw up, she had one thought:

It was sure a good idea to have a trashcan next to her desk.

* * *

AN: So, what'd you think? Please review! And thank you so much to everyone who has read and reviewed for this story! It means so much! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	6. Facebook

Chapter 6:

Facebook

AN: So, here's chapter 6! I hope you like it! And there is vomiting in the beginning of this chapter, just as a warning. Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Mary threw up for almost 30 minutes straight. Two minutes in, she had to move to her bathroom, because her trashcan got too filled up with vomit. It took a good ten minutes for Jessie to finally hear her, and when she did, she made such a fuss that if Mary hadn't had her head hanging over the toilet, she would have screamed at her to leave.

When there was finally nothing left in Mary to come up, Jessie tucked her into bed, then left, saying that she was going to head to the grocery store for medicine, and if Mary needed anything, to call Bertram.

When she was sure Jessie was gone, Mary scrambled out of bed and sat at her desk, reloading her laptop. When her Facebook page popped up, she sat back in her chair.

On her home page, on _public view_, were _dozens _of hateful messages. Many were from Bryn and her girls, others from kids Mary had seen in her classes, others from people she didn't even _know. _And the messages were horrible. They called her all sorts of names: loser, ugly, worthless. They said she was fat, and a nothing, and that she should just go back to the hobo jungle that she had come from. They said things about her _father. _Her biological father. _How do they know about that? _She wondered to herself. There were hateful comments everywhere. But one from Bryn got to her the most.

**Bryn Breitbart Mary Ross**

You're a loser, Ross. You're nothing. You don't belong here. Or anywhere. Nobody wants you. Never have, and never will. You're absolutely worthless. You belong in prison with your dad. You should just go die. No one will miss you.

Below the post, was another line.

**Jake Tanner, Finch Johnson, **and **Luke Ross **like this.

Mary's fingers shook as she clicked on her brother's name. The link took her to his timeline. And what she saw next, made her want to throw up again.

Luke had _shared _nearly half of all the comments that people had posted. He had liked them, and commented on them, and outright _agreed _with them. Then Mary saw a conversation that was _public _on Luke's timeline.

**Jake Tanner Luke Ross**

So, that weird girl's your sister?

**Luke Ross Jake Tanner **

Yeah, unfortunately.

**Jake Tanner Luke Ross **

Do you actually hang out with her?

**Luke Ross Jake Tanner**

Nah. We're not even that close.

**Finch Johnson Luke Ross **and **Jake Tanner**

Hey, how come Mary owes money at Target?

**Luke Ross Finch Johnson**

I don't know. Why

**Finch Johnson Luke Ross**

Her face broke all the mirrors! You break, you buy!

**Luke Ross Finch Johnson**

Haha! That's a good one, Finch!

Mary couldn't continue reading. She slammed her laptop closed as her breathing quickened and her heart rate accelerated.

She stood and hurried to the door, and peeked out. She could distantly hear Bertram snoring in the living room, but Jessie clearly wasn't home yet. She tiptoed into her brother's room, closing the door behind her.

Let's face it: Luke's room _stank. _It stank of dirty socks, BO, and an unusual odor that Mary did NOT want to know the name of. Still, she sucked it up, and hurried over to Luke's desk.

Opening his laptop, she realized that he'd never even turned it off, and it was still logged into his Facebook account. Perfect.

Clicking on Luke's messages, she scrolled until she found something that caught her eye.

She clicked on it.

It was a list of messages between _Luke and Bryn. _

**Bryn Breitbart: **Luke, how can you be _related _to that thing?! She's a freak!

**Luke Ross: **Hey, I didn't ask my parents to adopt her!

Mary felt her heart stop. Why would Luke tell Bryn all about her adoption?!

**Bryn Breitbart: **So? Do you know what being related to her will do to your rep?

**Luke Ross: **I know! You don't think she bothers me too?

**Bryn Breitbart: **This would be so much easier if she didn't exist.

**Luke Ross: **Ikr?

Mary swallowed the lump in her throat. Was that what Luke really thought of her? He hated her? Her own twin?

Suddenly, Mary heard the elevator doors ding, signaling Jessie's return. She slammed the laptop closed, and bolted back to her own room and into bed.

Now she truly felt sick.

* * *

Dinner that night was absolutely silent. Mary refused to come down, claiming she felt nauseous again. The other four children sat in complete silence at the dinner table. Jessie sat awkwardly at the head, sporadically asking about someone's day, or how they did on a test. It was as if an unspoken feeling of dread was hanging over the house.

None of them knew what was coming.

And I think, if given the option, they wouldn't have wanted to know, either.

* * *

The next day, Mary made it through about an hour of school before she finally snapped. It happened at the lockers.

Mary was trying to organize hers, when Bryn sauntered up to her, her girls right on her tail.

"Aw," she mocked. "Should we give the beggar some money, girls?"

The girls laughed.

Mary stood up to face her, even though Bryn had a good seven inches on her. "Bryn, I am not in the mood. Would you please just go away?"

Bryn laughed. "Aw. Does the little baby want me to leave?"

Mary took a step forward. "Don't push it."

"What're you gonna do, huh?" Bryn taunted. She gave Mary a small shove, then another.

Then Mary lost it. She flew at Bryn, knocking her to the ground.

Bryn's girls let out shrieks and jumped back as the two wrestled.

And while Mary was strong, Bryn had nails. And she definitely not afraid to use them.

The two girls went at it for a good minute, until Mary felt two arms grab her and yank her roughly off of Bryn.

At first, Mary thought it was a teacher, but when she looked up, she was shocked to see it was Luke, who had come inside to use the restroom.

Bryn stood up and dusted herself off. "You better watch yourself, Ross," she said, pointing a finger a Mary. "Next time big brother isn't gonna be there to protect you."

With that, Bryn stormed off.

Luke turned to his sister. "Why'd you do that?!"

"Me?! She started it!"

"I don't care who started it, Mary! You tackled one of the most popular girls in school!"

"She was harassing me, Luke! What did you want me to do?"

"If you weren't such a loser, she wouldn't harass you."

When Luke said that, he honestly wasn't thinking, and he was thoroughly shocked when Mary burst into tears.

"You know what, Luke? I'm done. I'm done with you, I'm done with this school. I'm just done!" She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. "The one time I need you on my side, and you won't even do that for me."

She turned away and broke into a run towards the school doors.

"Good!" Luke called after her. "I'm done with you, you loser!" He turned away to head back to the soccer field, muttering, "Gosh, I hate you."

If he had known that that would be the last conversation he would have with his sister for a long time, he would've...well, he would've done things a whole lot differently.

And as Mary bolted out of the school, slamming the doors behind her and choking on her own sobs, she knew what she had to do.

* * *

AN: So, what'd you think? Just as a warning, the next chapter will be kind of disturbing. It **does involve the subject of suicide. Please read the author's note at the beginning of the next chapter. **And I do not own Facebook. Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	7. A Deadly Decision

Chapter 7:

A Deadly Decision

AN: So, here's chapter 7! Now, please read the warning: **There is an attempt of suicide in this chapter. If you cannot handle it, I suggest you wait for chapter 8, and do not read this one. I am doing this in honor of all the children of the world who are bullied, and in memory of all those who took their lives. Suicide is NEVER the answer. Don't even consider it. You are all special. You are all unique. And if someone doesn't like it, they only feel bad about themselves. So, this is for all of you who are bullied. I truly understand your pain. I had to change schools because of bullying. It put me in the hospital three times, and it is still present, even at my new school. And while I know it hurts now, just know that that person is scum...they are the nothing, not you. You are incredible. You are amazing. God made you who you are. Don't hate it. Don't throw it away. Remember that you are you. It's the best thing you can be. (If a person actually quoted something like that, then credit goes to them, but I honestly came up with that on my own. :) ) **Anyway, have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Mary slammed her bedroom door closed, then flung her back pack onto her bed. Jessie wasn't home. Bertram was asleep, and he wouldn't hear her. She had the house to herself.

She hurried to her laptop and logged into her Facebook. Clicking in the post box, she quickly typed.

**Mary Ross: **This is for everyone who wanted me gone, including my own brother. Congratulations, Luke. You got your wish.

She clicked post.

Buddy came from his bed in the corner, and put his head in her lap.

Mary's eyes filled with tears. She knelt down and wrapped her arms around Buddy's neck. "I'm sorry, Buddy," she said, a few tears sliding down her cheeks. "But I have to." She kissed him on his head.

Hurrying to her bathroom, she closed the door. Opening her mirror cabinet, she took out a bottle of pills. Then she gazed at herself in the mirror. A dozen thoughts ran through her head.

_You're nothing..._

_You're worthless..._

_I hate you, you loser._

_You break, you buy!_

**_Jake Tanner, Finch Johnson, and Luke Ross _**_like this._

_This would be easier if she just didn't exist._

Then Mary let the tears fall. Luke wouldn't miss her. She knew that. She didn't know if the others would or not. She didn't even know if they had wanted her in the first place.

She quickly took the lid off the bottle, then shook a handful of pills into her hand.

* * *

But what Mary hadn't realized was that it was an in-service day for teachers, and the school day ended at 11:00. And as soon as Cady got out of school, the first thing she did was go on her phone to check her Facebook. And as soon as she logged on, Mary's post appeared.

**Mary Ross: **This is for everyone who wanted me gone, including my own brother. Congratulations, Luke. You got your wish.

Cady's heart started to pound. No no no...Mary wouldn't...she wouldn't try to _kill herself._.would she?

Cady took off at a dead run towards the penthouse.

* * *

In California, 16 year old Chase Davenport sighed as he completed yet _another _one of his math problems. It wasn't that the homework was hard. It just took _so long. _

Suddenly, his older brother Adam, who was 18, appeared next to him. "Uh, Chase? I think you should see this. I was looking at the camera in Mary's bathroom, and-"

"You have a _camera _in Mary's bathroom?!" 17 year old Bree asked in disbelief.

"I put cameras in all their bathrooms," Adam said.

"Why?"

"In case they need help." He pushed the ipad towards Chase.

Chase pushed it away. "Adam, I am not gonna look at that."

Adam forced it into Chase's hands. "No, you _need _to see this."

Slightly confused by her brother's serious tone, Bree joined the boys in looking at the camera.

Mary was standing at her bathroom sink, crying. A bottle of pills was in her hand.

"She's not gonna do what I think she's gonna do, is she?" Bree asked quietly.

Chase shook his head.

Then Mary poured what had to be over a dozen pills into her hand.

"No no no no no," Chase said, shooting up from his seat. He took a hold of Bree's and Adam's hands. "Bree, speed us over there. Then go find Mr. Davenport."

Bree instantly obeyed.

* * *

Mary couldn't direct her gaze away from the pills. She couldn't believe she was about to do this. Suddenly, she heard a door slam somewhere in the house.

"Mary?"

Oh, no. It was Cady. Oh, God. Cady was gonna find her. Mary quickly grabbed a plastic cup from her cabinet and filled it with water. If she took the pills now, there would be nothing that Cady could do-

Suddenly, the door swung open, and revealed Cady, who had a look on her face that said she was witnessing something horrible.

For a moment, neither said anything.

Then Cady flung herself at Mary, screaming, "Mary, give it to me!"

"No!" Mary cried.

A rough tug of war ensued. Cady was desperate to get the pills away from Mary, while Mary was desperately trying to keep to keep her grip on the bottle. Somewhere in there, the handful of pills clattered to the floor.

Somewhere in there, Mary felt two arms wrap around her torso, and suddenly Chase was there, nearly flinging her to the floor. Adam was already calling 911, while Chase held onto Mary protectively as she sobbed hysterically, holding her so that she couldn't free her arms.

A girl Chase didn't know, presumably Mary's friend, moved so that she was pressed up against the opposite corner of the bathroom wall.

However, none of them were prepared for when Ravi walked through the door, backpack in hand, a confused look on his face. "I heard a lot of noise up here. What's going..."

Ravi stopped dead in his tracks.

"Oh, my God," Chase whispered to himself.

Because...how do tell an 11 year old that his sister just tried to commit suicide?

* * *

AN: So, what did you think? That chapter was really hard to write. Oh, and I thought I'd point out that Cady's name is pronounced like "Katie." Just in case any of you were wondering, although you probably already knew that. :) Anyway, I hope you...well, not really enjoyed it. But I hope you thought it was good. Please review! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	8. Telling Luke

Chapter 8:

Telling Luke

AN: So, here's chapter 8! I've had the last few chapters written for a while, so that's why I've been updating everyday. I'll try to keep it up, but I'm sorry if I don't. Anyway, I hope you like it! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Luke panted hard as Coach Walton motioned the boys over. The team of 20 some football players had just got done doing laps: running around the entire length of the football field five times. And they were thoroughly exhausted.

"Alright, boys," Coach Walton said gruffly. "Good job. Five minute break."

The boys headed over towards the low bench that held their gear. As he chugged his water bottle, Luke noticed that the alert light on his phone was blinking. Although they weren't really supposed to have their phones out during practice, he took it out anyway.

**17 missed calls from Emma Ross**

_17 missed calls? _Emma called him _17 times? _

Emma was reluctant to even have Luke as a contact on her phone, and she rarely, if ever, texted him; let alone called him. This was definitely weird.

However, before he could question it further, a sleek gray car pulled up next to the field. Emma got out of the front seat, and Adam out of the driver's.

Why was Adam here? And Emma? Emma would never have wanted to come to his football practice. Something was definitely up.

Luke met his sister half way. Adam lagged behind.

Emma started in as soon as Luke reached her. "Why didn't you answer when I called you?" she asked, her voice strangely quiet. She was keeping her head down too, trying not to make eye contact.

Luke gestured to the field. "We were running laps, Emma. I didn't have my phone on me. I'm sorry."

Then Luke took in her appearance.

Emma's eyes were red and puffy, as though she had been crying. Her makeup was thoroughly smudged, and her face was stark white. Adam didn't look quite as bad, but he had definitely been crying.

Suddenly, Adam's cellphone rang. He whipped it out at lightning speed and flipped it open. "Chase, talk to me. What's going on?" He walked back in the direction of the car.

Now Luke knew something had happened. "What's wrong?" he asked quietly.

As soon as he said that, Emma started to cry. "Um...M-Mary went home early from school today, a-and she p-posted something on Facebook."

Emma let out a sob. "Luke, she...s-she t-tried to kill h-herself."

For a moment, it was if time stopped. Luke was sure that his heart stopped. No. He _knew _that his heart stopped.

The world seemed to tilt, and if he hadn't caught himself, Luke would've face planted.

"What?" he whispered.

Emma started back to the car, and Luke followed.

"What do you mean she tried to kill herself?" Luke asked, a little more roughly.

"Just get in the car, Luke. Jessie'll tell you at the hospital."

The car ride was absolutely silent. No one said a word. The only sound were Emma's occasional sbos, and Adam's occasional sniffs as he willed himself not to cry. Luke didn't cry. he was absolutely numb.

When they arrived at the hospital, they rode the elevator to the third floor. Once there, they were met with the most depressing group of people they had ever seen.

Ravi, Zuri and Bree were sitting on a small couch, though none looked at all well. Chase was sitting on the floor against the wall, his eyes closed.

Donald was at the nurses' desk with Douglas, arguing with a nurse about something that Luke wasn't able to hear.

When Jessie realized that they had entered, she quickly stood up.

Luke hurried to her. "Jessie, what happened?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady.

Jessie pulled Luke aside. "She um...she tried to overdose. Cady got to her and stopped her in time. The doctor hasn't been out yet, so I don't know anything else."

For amoment, Luke was silent. Then he cupped his face in his hands and leaned against the wall. "Oh, my God," he muttered.

Suddenly, the double doors at the opposite side of the room opened, and a Doctor stepped out. He looked around, chuckling slightly. "Are you all here for Mary Ross?"

Jessie flew over, and Donald and Douglas stood. The children stood, but stayed where they were.

"How is she?" Jessie asked worriedly.

The doctor sighed, but got right to the point. "We did several tests, and we know that she never got the chance to actually take any of the pills. Which is a good thing."

"Are we able to see her?" Jessie asked.

The doctor sighed. "It's past visiting hours. But you can come back tomorrow right at 8:00. She's sedated for now, so..."

Jessie looked slightly disappointed, but she nodded.

The doctor gave them a small smile and walked away.

For a moment, the room was silent. Then Emma shot Luke a death glare.

"This is all your fault, you know."

Luke turned to her. "Excuse me?"

"I've seen your Facebook page," Emma said.

"What?" Jessie asked.

Emma stood and took out her phone. She logged onto her Facebook account, then clicked on Luke's profile. "See for yourself." She handed the phone to Jessie.

Jessie rarely, if ever, got extremely angry at the kids. Every so often, she would really lose her patience, but it was never severe.

However, as Jessie's scrolled through Luke's timeline, the kids could practically _hear _the blood rising to her head.

For a moment, all was silent.

Jessie turned to Luke, with a mixture of disappointment, anger, and Luke swore he saw hatred in there. "Get in the car right now," she said stiffly.

* * *

AN: So, what did you think? I know that chapter was kinda cruddy, but oh, well. Anyway, please review! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	9. The Aftermath

Chapter 9:

The Aftermath

AN: So, here's chapter 9! I hope you like it! And sorry for the long wait. Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

No computer for two months. No Ipad for two months. No phone for two months. Luke even had to permanently delete his Facebook account. That was his punishment.

No one spoke at dinner. The Davenports stayed, but no one really talked.

As they were getting ready for bed, Emma approached her nanny. Emma had been punished with losing all electronics for two weeks, since she had actually _known _about what Mary was going through, but hadn't said anything.

"Jessie," she said quietly. "What do we do on Monday if kids ask where she is?"

Jessie lowered her voice. "Say she's sick. Do not mention this. No matter what. You understand?"

Emma nodded.

"Good."

* * *

After dinner, Luke had been grounded to his room, where he was to stay until the next morning. However, he couldn't fall asleep. So, when he was sure the coast was clear, he put some clothes on, and snuck out to the basketball court in Central Park, ball in hand.

As he shot, images of the pills lying scattered on Mary's bathroom floor played through his mind. It shook Luke to his core.

Mary was his sister. His _twin. _No. She was more then that. She was his best friend. His little sister. The sister that he was supposed to protect. And look after. Not bully. When Luke had first met his sister, he had known that she was different. She was rough, yet she had a soft side that people rarely saw. And she was much more sensitive than people thought. Luke knew that even the littlest things hurt her. She had been through so much, and there wasn't much left to knock down. And now she had tried to kill herself. And it was all Luke's fault.

At that thought, Luke hurled the basketball past the hoop. He heard a crash, but he didn't care.

Mary had tried to _kill herself. _She could have died if Cady hadn't of stopped her. She wanted to die. She wanted to get away from him.

_God, what had he done?_!

Luke fell to his knees in the middle of the court and sobbed.

* * *

Jessie sat quietly in Mary's hospital room, a romance novel in her hand. But she hadn't touched it.

The doctor said that Mary's sedative should wear off at some point. But he wanted to keep her at the hospital for at least another day, just for observation.

With one look at Mary, Jessie couldn't help but cry. What was she thinking? Why didn't she come to her? Didn't Mary trust her?

Jessie wiped her eyes and let out another sob. She didn't know how to deal with this. She was their _nanny. _Not their parent. Morgan and Christina were trying their best to get there, but they were in LA, and their flight had been delayed due to bad weather in Nevada.

A knock at the door caught Jessie's attention.

Chase was standing there, a cup of coffee in his hands. "Hey," he said, his voice ringing with exhaustion. "How's she doin'?"

Jessie sighed. "She's still out. But the doctor says the sedative should be wearing off soon."

Chase nodded.

"Chase, are you okay?" Jessie asked quietly.

Chase had started to nod, but then he stopped and let his face fall into his hands.

"Oh, Chase," Jessie said sympathetically.

Chase wiped his hand over his face and took a deep breath. "No," he said, trying to compose himself. "I'm fine."

Jessie stood. "Are you sure?"

Chase nodded, then disappeared out the door.

Jessie sighed and sat back down. Everything was just so messed up.

Opening her novel, she began to read. But after a while, she realized she had spent five whole minutes on the first page, and yet she hadn't read a single word of it.

Suddenly, a voice startled her out of her thoughts.

"Jessie?"

Jessie's head shot up.

Mary was awake, and was now leaning on her side, facing Jessie.

Jessie immediately moved forward so that she was nearer to her.

"Hey, sweetheart. How you feelin'?"

"You think I'm crazy now, don't you?" Mary said.

"What?" Jessie asked. Mary was obviously very groggy, and Jessie wasn't entirely sure how lucid she was.

"You think I'm crazy now, don't you?" Mary repeated.

Jessie shook her head and gently stroked Mary's hair. "I don't think you're crazy. I wish you would have come to me, but I don't think you're crazy."

"You gonna send me to away?"

Jessie stood and repositioned the cruddy hospital blanket over Mary. "Why don't you go back to sleep?" she suggested.

Mary sat up and leaned on her elbow. "Are you gonna send me away?" she asked again.

Jessie shook her head. "Mary, we're not gonna send you away, okay? Now, go back to sleep."

* * *

AN: So, I know that chapter was pretty cruddy, but I have really bad writer's block, so...Anyway, have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	10. Bleeding Knuckles

Chapter 10:

Bleeding Knuckles

AN: So, here's chapter 10! I honestly never thought this story would get this far! I want to thank everyone who has reviewed for this story, **Guest, izzy, Emilie, Me, Guest, and DisneyChannelLover. **You guys really keep me going! Anyway, have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Donald exhaled deeply. "But you'll tell them, right?" he said wearily to Horace.

The doctor was obviously slightly stunned, but he nodded. "Yeah. Sure."

Donald patted his shoulder. "I gotta get back, alright?"

Horace nodded again. After Donald had left, he headed out into the main lobby. Kaz and Oliver were at the check-in desk, talking with Skylar. Horace rubbed his hand over his face. This was _so _not what he wanted to do.

He quietly approached the group. "Boys, could I, um...talk to you for a minute?"

The boys looked a little confused, but they complied.

Once they were a good distance away from the people, Oliver turned to the doctor. "What is it, Horace?"

"I just talked to Donald, and uh...he wanted me to talk to you about something."

Oliver started to look a little uneasy. "What's wrong?"

"It's about Mary."

At the mention of his unspoken crush, Kaz became slightly alarmed. "What's wrong with her?"

Horace ran his hand through his hair and avoided the boys' gazes. "Um, apparently...there were some...issues going on at school and...Mary...she, um...she tried to, kill herself, boys."

Kaz didn't even hear Horace finish his sentence. He was falling...falling...falling...

He heard Oliver yell his name.

Then all he saw was blackness.

* * *

Bree peered closely at the Bryn through the bars of the bleachers. She had talked to Emma, and she knew who Bryn was.

Bree stalked up to her. "You're Bryn, right?"

Bryn looked at her as if she were a pile of dirt. "What's it to you?"

"You know my cousin, don't you? Mary Ross?"

Bryn didn't say anything.

"You harassed her, remember? On Facebook?"

Bryn looked away snobbily. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Bree crossed her arms over her chest. "Oh, I think you do."

Bryn stood, as did the rest of her girls. "I don't think that a person of your social standing has any right to speak to me like that. I didn't do anything wrong." She stood and started to walk away. The others followed suit.

"You know, she tried to kill herself last night."

Bryn stopped and turned on her hip. "_Tried_?"

"Yeah. And she would have been successful if one of her friends and my brothers hadn't stopped her."

Bryn chuckled slightly. "What a shame."

"'What a shame' what?"

"What a shame that she didn't succeed."

Bree's fuse, already short from worry and lack of sleep, snapped.

She sped at full speed towards Bryn, knocking her to the bleachers' metal bench. Then she punched...and punched. And when she was done punching, she kicked. And she kicked. And when she was fully satisfied that she had made her point, she grabbed Bryn by her shirt, and pinned her up against the back bars at the top of the bleachers.

Bryn was covered in blood, cuts, scrapes, and bruises. And while it was obvious she was fighting to stay conscious, she still looked scared to death.

Bree moved so that her face was barely an inch from Bryn's. "If you _ever _come _near _my cousin again, I _promise _you, that I will hurt you even more. And I won't be responsible for the outcome."

Even in her weakened state, Bryn still gave a light scoff. "Is that a death threat?"

Bree glared at her. "Let me sleep on it." Then she pulled back, and hurled Bryn onto the metal bench.

As she climbed down the stairs, she sighed. She was going to have to come up with an excuse for when Chase bandaged up her now bleeding knuckles.

* * *

"Kaz?"

The voice was distant, but Kaz heard it.

"Kaz, wake up."

He didn't want to get up.

"Kaz, can you hear me?"

_Oliver. _

Kaz opened his eyes, then quickly shut them at the sharp pain in his head. "I'm not deaf, Oliver."

He heard Oliver give a sigh of relief. "Good. For a second there I thought I was gonna have to go get Horace."

Kaz sat forward, but winced as pain shot through the back of his head. He was in one of Mighty Med's private rooms, in a hospital bed, with Oliver sitting at his side.

Oliver put a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him back down. "Easy there."

"What happened?"

Oliver sighed. "You passed out. You also slammed the back of your head on the counter as you went down."

For a moment, Kaz was confused. Then everything registered in his mind. He turned to Oliver. "Please tell me Mary's okay."

Oliver nodded. "She's fine. She tired to..." he swallowed. "to overdose, but one of her friends and Adam and Chase got her before she could even do anything."

Kaz sat back against the pillows in relief. He rubbed his hand over his face. "How long was I out?"

"About three hours. You were really starting to worry me."

Kaz swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood, but the room suddenly tilted, and he felt Oliver quickly steady him. "Whoa, take it easy, Kaz. If you go down, you know I'm not gonna be able to catch you."

Kaz sat back down gingerly. "Do you, um...is she in the hospital?"

Oliver nodded. "Yeah, but I don't know which one."

Kaz looked up at his friend. "Could you find out?"

Oliver nodded sadly and gently patted Kaz's shoulder. "Of course, Kaz."

* * *

AN: So, what did you think? So sorry for the wait! But I'm also working on updating my "Birthday Bash or Birthday Crash?" story, so hopefully you'll be seeing something of that soon! Anyway, please review! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	11. Kaz's Visit

Chapter 11:

Kaz's Visit

AN: So, here's chapter 11! Thank you all so much for the incredible reviews! They mean so much! In this chapter, I'm going to have a little romance between Kaz and Mary, although bear with me, because I've never written anything about romance before, so... And St. Luke's is an actual hospital in Manhattan. I just wanted to use a real one instead of a fake one. But it is not mine. Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Kaz stepped nervously up to the nurses' desk on the third floor of St. Luke's General Hospital in Manhattan, clutching a small bouquet of flowers from the cruddy gift shop behind his back. "Um...excuse me? Can you tell me which room Mary Ross is in please?"

The nurse, who was an older woman who looked as if she were being bothered, pursed her lips and barely glanced up from her computer. "322," she said dully.

Kaz nodded. "Thank you," he said as he walked away.

Heading down the long corridor, he stopped at the door of Mary's room, took a deep breath, and walked inside; and nearly collided with a nurse who was coming out.

"Oh, geez!" she exclaimed with a smile. She was young, probably fresh out of nursing school. Her purple scrub shirt had rubber duckies all over it, and her white name tag said 'Taylor.'

"Are you looking for Mary?" she asked good-naturedly.

Kaz nodded.

"She's at the vending machines. They're down the hall and to the left."

"Thanks," Kaz said, heading in the said direction. When he got to the first left turn in the hallway, he glanced down.

Mary was standing at the snack vending machine, and it was clear it was not working. After a few kicks and insults towards the box, Mary slyly pressed her hand up against the glass, and using her bionics, melted it completely. Then she reached inside and pulled out a bag of pretzels.

Kaz stepped into the turn. "You know, I'm pretty sure that qualifies as theft."

Mary looked slightly startled, but then she relaxed when she saw who it was. "I put in my five quarters. Stupid things broken, that's all."

Kaz took a few steps towards her. "Well, then in that case, there'll be no track record of this." He reached inside, and pulled out three bags of assorted nuts. Sticking two in his pocket, he opened the third one.

"So, what brings you here?" Mary asked.

Kaz pulled the flowers out from behind his back and extended them towards her.

Mary looked taken aback, but she took them. Keeping her eyes down, she said quietly, "You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to."

For a moment, the two were silent. Then Mary started heading back to her room, and Kaz followed.

As they walked slowly, he reached his hand into the bag, pulled out a handful of nuts, then held it out towards Mary. "Want one?"

For some odd reason, Mary was scrutinizing the labels on her bag of pretzels. She absent mindedly reached her hand towards the bag of nuts, but then stopped herself.

"Are there peanuts in those?"

Kaz glanced inside the bag. "Yeah, why?"

Mary shook her head. "I can't have it. I'm allergic."

"You're allergic to nuts?"

"I'm allergic to peanuts."

Kaz reached inside and pulled out another kind of nut. "Well, here. This one's a cashew."

"Kaz, if it's been touching a peanut, then I'm still gonna have a reaction."

Kaz scoffed. "Does you're face swell up like a balloon? Oliver's allergic to walnuts, and that's what happens to him."

They had reached Mary's room by now, and they headed inside, sitting down on the window seat.

"No. I just can't breathe."

"So, I'm guessing you have to be deprived of peanut butter?"

"No, actually I can eat that."

"What?"

"Some scientists found that when peanuts are made into things like peanut butter and oil, three quarters of the actual peanut and most of the allergens inside of it are taken out. So, some kids like me can't eat actual peanuts, but stuff like peanut butter won't hurt us." **(AN: That actually is true by the way. I've found several websites on it, and I'm allergic to peanuts, but not peanut butter or oil, so I know it's true. It's just some kind of rare thing that happens. But it is true for some people.)**

Mary continued reading the label on her pretzels. After a few seconds, she rolled her eyes.

"What?" Kaz asked her.

"It says they were made in a factory that processes peanuts."

She tossed the bag across the room, where it banked off the wall and into the trashcan.

Kaz turned to her. "You know, I would've eaten those."

Mary chuckled.

For a moment, they were both silent. Finally, Kaz spoke up.

"Mary, why did you do it?"

"You don't understand."

"Mary, yes I do! I've been bullied before. Believe me, I know what it's like to feel hated."

Mary turned to him. "Is that how you met Oliver?"

Kaz nodded. "We were in the third grade...my dad was always...a little...unstable. I was the weird kid who came into school everyday all beat up. Nobody wanted to be friends with me."

Mary's head shot up. "You're dad was abusive?"

Kaz nodded. "They used to make fun of me. A lot. And Oliver, he...he defended me. He was the only one I could trust." He was silent for a moment. "You know, you never did tell me about your dad."

Mary scoffed. "You don't want to know about my dad."

"You know, sometimes it helps to talk about it."

Mary sighed. "My dad used to beat me, and if it wasn't a beating, it was at least a nice swat, everyday, for about eight years straight."

Kaz whistled. "That's a pretty long record."

Mary nodded. "You don't know the whole story of how I got adopted, do you?"

Kaz shook his head.

Mary sighed again. "Well, you can ask Luke about that story. But you'll have to ask him yourself. Me and him aren't exactly on speaking terms."

"Why not?"

"Did you see his Facebook page?"

"No. I got grounded last week for breaking curfew. I haven't been online in like, a week."

"Huh. You missed the party."

Kaz gazed at her for a moment. "You know, I'm, uh...I'm...really glad that...that you didn't do it."

"Yeah?"

Kaz nodded. He got a little closer. "Shall we pick up where we left off?"

Mary smiled a little. "What, two months ago? I'm not sure I remember."

Kaz got closer. "Well, then I'll just have to jog your memory."

He leaned in.

Neither had ever kissed before, but fireworks exploded in the back of their minds. They stayed like that for a while, until something caught them off guard.

"Now, Mary," came Ravi's voice from outside the door. "I know that Zuri went a tad overboard with buying you eight teddy bears at the gift shop, but rest assured, sister, I will-"

Ravi and Zuri chose that exact moment to walk in, their arms loaded with gift shop goodies. Leo, who had been on a trip with his mother, was right behind them. He let out a girlish shriek when he saw what was happening, and quickly put his hands over Ravi and Zuri's eyes as Mary and Kaz quickly pulled apart.

"Not in front of the kids!" Leo scolded. "Save it for when visiting hours end!"

"Leo, get out!" Mary said through clenched teeth.

Zuri pulled free from Leo and took a step towards Kaz. "You better be keepin' those hands where I can see 'em, mister."

Kaz backed up. "Okay, I've said it before, and I'll say it again: You're family scares me."

Mary looked confused. "You've never said that to me."

"Well, I just did."

"Kaz," said Oliver's voice as he entered the room. "You were supposed to wait for me while I went to the bathroom. You left me stranded in the lob-" He looked at everyone's expressions.

"What'd I miss?"

* * *

AN: So, what'd ya think? I honestly meant for that whole scene to be only part of a chapter, but it kinda turned into a whole one. Anyway, please review! And as I said above, St. Luke's is an actual hospital in Manhattan, and I **do not own it. **I just wanted to use a real one instead of a fake one, plus it was called St. Luke's, which I thought was kind of ironic. Please review! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	12. Just a Joke

Chapter 12:

"Just a Joke..."

AN: So, here's chapter 12! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Christina hurriedly stepped off the hospital elevator, Morgan close behind her. They were quickly met with Jessie, in the waiting room.

"Please tell me she's alright," Christina said to her nanny worriedly.

Jessie nodded. "She's fine. Adam, Chase, and one of her friends got to her. She's fine."

"Do you know why she did it?" Morgan asked.

Jessie didn't want to meet their gaze. "Um...do you remember Bryn? The girl who hated Emma? Well, apparently, she...she didn't particularly like Mary. And she um...she harassed her. Online and at school."

"Did you know?" Morgan asked her.

Jessie shook her head. "No. She never said anything." For a moment, she paused. "There's um...there's something else you should know." Jessie took a deep breath, dreading what she had to say next, but she knew it had to be done. "Luke was...he-he was kind of her...her partner in crime."

Christina looked as if she had been slapped. "What?! You mean he harassed her?!"

Jessie nodded. "I punished him."

"Where is he?"

"At home. He and Mary really aren't on good terms right now, so I told him to stay there."

Morgan nodded to his wife. "I'll go to him, you go to her."

Christina nodded. "Alright."

* * *

Luke sighed as he turned the page of his graphic novel. He had been sitting in his bedroom for the entire day, and despite the fact that he was allowed out of his room, he didn't exactly relish the thought of going downstairs and facing the same dreaded silence that he experienced upstairs, save for Bertram's snores.

He had become so lost in thought that it startled him when a knock sounded at the door, followed by his father entering.

"Hey, bud," Morgan said, closing the door behind him.

"Hi. What're you doing here?"

Morgan didn't answer.

Luke scoffed slightly and turned back to his "book". "Stupid question."

Morgan exhaled and came to the foot of the bed. "Luke...you know, that, as your father...I'm always going to be your biggest ally. But..." he sat on the edge of the bed. "I'm not going to kid with you on this. You have to understand what you've done."

Luke sat up and looked away from his father's gaze.

Morgan didn't know what it exactly was that made Luke crack. Maybe it was the pressure of Morgan's silence. Maybe it was guilt. Morgan would never know.

But suddenly Luke looked up, and his eyes filled with tears. "It...it wasn't my idea," he said, struggling not to cry. "Jake wanted to do it. He said it would be funny." He wiped his eyes with his sleeve. "I think he meant it a little meaner than he said. But Finch and me...we didn't want to do it. I...I honestly thought that she'd just laugh it off, you know? She'd see it, shoot back a little, and then just forget about it. That's how she always is."

Morgan sighed. "Yeah, but Luke, you gotta remember, she's in a completely different environment here. You've got 10 years of school under your belt. From what I've seen on her social work papers, she only went to daycare."

For a moment, they were both silent. Then Luke burst out crying.

"I'm sorry!" he sobbed. "I...I didn't think that she'd try to...oh, God. I'm so sorry dad." Luke put his head in his hands. Then he turned to his father. "What do I do? God, she must hate me. It...it was only supposed to be a joke."

Morgan exhaled through his nose. "I think that you need to tell her everything that you just told me." Morgan stood and walked slowly towards the door. He put his hand on the knob. "And I think you need to just hope that she forgives you."

With that he left the room, leaving Luke sobbing on his bed.

* * *

AN: So, I know that chapter was pretty crappy, but I've had it written for a while, and I've had writers block, so I figured I'd just post it and get it over it. Anyway, please review! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	13. Nightmares

Chapter 13:

Nightmares

AN: So, here's chapter 13! Sorry for the long wait! **And this chapter does contain mentions of child abuse! I am putting a warning here for those who do not wish to read it. **Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Chase sighed as he turned the page of the novel he was reading. He had only gotten out of school about an hour ago, but Adam and Bree were off doing who-knows-what with friends, Leo was with Janelle, and Donald and Douglas were off at some tech conference. Needless to say, there was nothing to do. Now, Chase was sitting by himself in the lab, reading a book that he had found on the couch.

He was so engrossed in his novel that he didn't even hear the elevator doors of the lab open.

"Hey," a voice said, startling him.

Chase looked up. Mary was standing cautiously by the cyberdesk, her arms folded around her chest. She was wearing a purple sweatshirt, black leggings, and a pair of black Converse.

Chase smiled. "Hey," he said, setting the book down on the table next to him. Mary was obviously a little standoffish, and Chase knew she was uneasy about what had happened. "When'd you get out?"

Mary came further into the room. "Around noon. I would've come sooner, but you guys were all in school, so..."

Chase glanced at his watch. "Aren't you eating dinner? It's almost 6 o'clock over there."

Mary nodded. "Jessie's gonna call me when it's ready. And," she added. "With the way Bertram was moving, it'll probably be a while."

Chase chuckled.

After a moment, Mary extended her right wrist. "Could you cut this for me?" she asked, nodding to the white hospital bracelet around her wrist. "Jessie wouldn't let me near anything sharp."

Chase rose and headed towards a cabinet, grabbing a pair of scissors. Mary met him at the cyberdesk.

As he cut through the laminated white band, Chase couldn't help but gaze over Mary's wrist.

Mary scoffed, still stuck on Jessie. "She also emptied out my entire medicine cabinet, and locked it." Noticing that Chase was taking a while, she turned to him.

"I don't cut, if that's what your looking for," she snapped.

Chase exhaled and released his cousin's wrist. "Mary, you need to calm down."

"Calm down?! Chase, Jessie won't let me out of her sight! I'm not allowed near anything potentially dangerous! This afternoon, I went into the kitchen to make a sandwich, and all that's in the silverware drawer are spoons! Jessie wouldn't even let me use a plastic knife! Everyone needs to just chill out."

Chase turned to her. "Mary," he started. "You tried to kill yourself." Chase swallowed hard. "I think you need to accept that we're all going to be a little on edge for a while."

Mary fell silent. "It's not that I don't appreciate what you did."

Chase shook his head. "You should be thanking Adam, not me," he said, heading over to Leo's mission specialist desk and grabbing the bottle of water that was on top. He took a swig out of it. "He's the one that saw you on the video feed."

"You have a _camera in my bathroom_?!"

"It was Adam's idea, not mine."

Suddenly, the elevator doors opened, and Zuri strode into the room.

"Zuri?" Mary asked. "What're you doing here?"

Zuri leaned on the edge of the cyberdesk. "Well, I can give you two answers. 1: Jessie sent me to secretly stalk you and keep you safe to make sure that you don't try anything. Or 2: Jessie sent me here to stalk you, but I also came at free will to make sure you don't have another make-out session with Kaz."

Chase choked, and promptly spit out the water he was drinking, just as Mary cried, "Zuri!"

As Mary stared her younger sister down, Chase tried to swallow. "Another _what_?!"

"She and Kaz made out in her hospital room."

"We didn't make out!"

"Mary." Chase looked at his cousin expectantly.

"We...kissed. That was it! That was all that happened!"

Zuri chuckled. "Really? Because when we walked in, it looked like-"

As she spoke, the elevator opened again, and Ravi entered.

He smiled at Zuri. "Ah, reason 1 or 2?"

Zuri chuckled. "Probably 2."

"Same."

Mary yanked the water bottle from Chase's hands, and promptly threw it at her siblings.

Zuri squealed, and she and Ravi bolted into the elevator, while Zuri screamed, "Abort mission! Abort mission!"

After they had left, Mary sighed. "And on that note, I'm going for a walk."

* * *

_Early 2005..._

_5-year-old Mary Olsen sat contently on her bed, coloring in a page of a coloring book that a boy down the street named Marco had given her. She didn't know Marco all that well, (she had heard her father Thomas say that he knew his dad,) but her mother, Vanessa, called Marco a hoodlum, a word that, though she asked, Mary did not understand. _

_Suddenly, the sound of a car made her turn towards the window. She felt her stomach twist. _Cars drive by everyday, _she told herself. _That doesn't mean it's dad.

_However, a few seconds later, a pair of little feet bounded up the stairs, and Mary's twin brother, Luke, tore through the door and closed it behind him. "Dad's home," he announced shakily. _

_Mary knew what that meant. She hurriedly flung her coloring book under the covers of her made bed. She and Luke climbed onto their separate beds, sitting pretzel style. This was their normal routine everyday, for when their father came home from a day of gambling. He never usually won, using up the small amounts of money that the family had. But he was adamant that he would one day make a career out of poker._

_They were convinced that if they made the room as neat as possible, and behaved as well as they could, that their nearly daily beatings from their father would not be as harsh. If they were lucky, they might only get a swat or two. _

_They heard their father open and slam the front door...heard their mother tell him not to. They heard their father yell a word that they didn't know, but probably weren't supposed to anyway. They didn't hear it, but they knew that Thomas grabbed their mother by the shoulders, and shook her, telling her that he was the man of the house, and that she should respect him. They heard as their mother screamed from the almost guaranteed beating, while glass shattered from God knows where. _

_Then, their father's heavy footsteps sounded on the stairs, and a moment later, he flung the door open so hard that it slammed into the wall and left a gaping hole. _

_The two children were frozen with fear. _

_After a moment of ear ringing silence, their father gave a great yell, lunged at Luke, and dragged him by his hair out into the hallway. Mary heard the familiar sound of the closet door opening, and she heard Luke get thrown in. Then her father came back for her. _

_Move to the closet ahead of time, and her father would yell at her for supposedly trying to dominate him. Don't move at all, and her father would yell at her to hurry up. _

_Today, he grabbed her shirt collar and yanked her to the closet door. _

_Now Mary started to panic. She hated that closet with a passion...it held too many bad memories. But she fought her father, earning a swift punch in the face, followed by a nice meeting with the closet floor. _

_Thomas slammed the door closed, and his footsteps disappeared into the house. _

_The twins were breathing heavily. Luke pulled his sister so that she was laying against him. "You okay?" he asked her. _

_Mary nodded, but Luke could feel her shaking from tears. Luke hugged her tightly, and Mary returned the gesture. _

_"When do you think he'll be back?" she asked in a quavering voice. _

_Luke shook his head. "I-I don't know." _

_For a few minutes, they sat like that, all the while listening to their mother's screams, their father's yells, and the crashing of objects throughout the house. _

_Suddenly, Thomas footsteps were close. He yanked open the door, grabbed a hold of Luke, and slammed it closed again. _

_Mary sobbed as she listened to her brother's screams. She could hear Thomas beating him, because he father hit so hard. _

_Suddenly, the footsteps approached the closet again. Mary cowered down in the corner. "No!" _

_"Mary!" _

_Oh, gosh, this was gonna hurt so bad! "No! Please!" _

_"Mary!" _

_Wait a minute...that wasn't Luke's voice...but she recognized it. Who..._

_The handle turned. _

_"Mary!" _

_The door swung open. _

_Thomas' hand gripped Mary's arm and yanked her out into the hallway. "No!" she screamed. _

_He gripped her shoulders hard, shaking her. _

"Mary! Wake up!"

Mary woke up drenched in sweat, and completely disoriented.

As she came to her senses, she realized that she wasn't in Detroit. She was in New York, in the penthouse. She was laying on the couch in the living room, and Emma was standing over her, with a very concerned look on her face. It was pitch black outside, and the only light in the dark room was a single lamp on an endtable.

"Are you okay?" Emma asked her.

Mary nodded as she swung her legs over the side of the couch, despite the fact that she was panting. "I'm fine. I'm sorry if I woke you."

Emma shook her head. "No, you didn't. I couldn't sleep. I just came down for a glass of water. And you...started screaming."

For a moment, both girls were silent.

"What was your dream about?" Emma asked quietly.

Mary shook her head. "Nothing. I don't remember."

"Mary-"

"It's nothing, okay?" Mary snapped. "Will you just leave me alone?"

Emma wanted to say more, but decided against it. "Okay," she said quietly. Then she headed back upstairs to her room.

Mary sighed and ran a hand through her hair. _Well, this'll be an interesting night, _she thought to herself.

* * *

AN: So, I know that that chapter was really bad, but I had to get something out there. And I also wanted to say that I accept ideas for stories, as long as they are appropriate, contain no swearing, and are not slash, incest, or contain sex. Sorry, but those are my rules. But I accept ideas, so if you want me to write a story, just leave me a quick description in the comments, or PM me! I will give you full credit for the idea! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	14. A Trip to Detroit

Chapter 14:

A Trip to Detroit

AN: So, here's chapter 14! A super-long chapter for you guys! I hope you like it! I know that it's a little random, but oh, well... Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

"I already told you," Mary insisted, crossing her arms over her chest. "Everyone at school hates me. My brother hates me. Why do I have to keep repeating myself?"

She was sitting slumped on a couch, her therapist, Marcia Matthews, sitting on a chair across from her. It was Mary's first meeting with her, and needless to say, Mary was less than pleased.

"I know that you told me what the problem was, Mary," Marcia said gently. "But I want to know the why. Why did you feel that suicide was the answer?"

Mary looked away.

Marcia glanced at the wall clock. "I have to meet with my next patient now," she said softly. "But I'll schedule your next appointment in a few days, alright? We can talk more then." She opened the door, and let Mary head out first.

In the waiting room, Christina stood from the uncomfortable chair she was sitting in, and greeted her daughter with a small smile. Ravi was in the chair next to her. He had wanted to come for "moral support" as he called it.

While Christina spoke with the receptionist, Ravi and Mary headed outside. After a minute of standing against the car in silence, Mary turned to her brother. "Ravi, can I ask you something?" she said quietly.

Ravi met his sister's eyes. "Sure."

"When you got adopted, did you...did you ever feel...separate?"

Ravi looked confused. "What?"

"You got adopted when you were older. Did you ever feel that you...weren't one of them?"

Ravi looked away. "Sometimes, I guess. Why?"

"I just...I don't feel like I'm in a family. I feel like I'm under surveillance, and one wrong move's gonna get me sent back."

At that, Ravi turned to her. "Mary...they would never send you back. You have to know that."

At that moment, Christina came out of the door of the counseling office.

Mary turned away from her brother. "I don't know."

* * *

Morgan sighed as he hung up the phone with the movie studio manager. That man just didn't know how to run a business. As he turned back to his paperwork, a knock caught his attention.

"Come in," he called.

Luke timidly opened the door and stepped inside. He shut the door behind him.

"Hey, buddy, what's up?" Morgan asked.

Luke was hesitant. "I need you to take me somewhere," he asked.

"Where?"

Luke took a deep breath. "I need you to take me to Detroit."

For a moment, Morgan was silent. "Is this concerning your sister?"

Luke nodded.

Another moment of awkward silence. Morgan exhaled. "Alright. Go pack your suitcase."

* * *

"Wait wait wait wait wait," Bree said, interrupting Chase. "They actually _kissed?!_"

Chase nodded. The three siblings were in the kitchen of their home. Chase was sitting at the counter, Adam was playing a game on his tablet on the couch, and Bree was standing across from Chase.

"That's what they said."

Bree pressed. "Well, what was it like? What led up to it?"

"I don't know! Mary didn't want to talk about it, and if Ravi hadn't have shown up when he did, I think Zuri would have gone into greater detail."

Bree laid her hand over her heart. "Aw! It's so romantic!"

Adam turned to them. "How is it romantic if it was under such awkward circumstances?"

"Hello?!" Bree exclaimed. "The best movie romances are always under awkward circumstances. Just think of it: This could be a whole new start for them! They-"

"Bree," Chase interrupted. "If you start shipping their names, I'm leaving the room."

"But they could be...Maz! Or wait! Kary!"

Chase stood. "And I'm leaving now," he said, heading down towards the lab as Bree carried on.

* * *

Luke stood nervously outside the pizza parlor in Detroit. He and Morgan had left on the family's jet nearly two hours ago, telling the family that Morgan had some business to take care of, and he wanted Luke to observe. The business story wasn't a complete lie. There was a client of some sort that Morgan had been meaning to meet with, but hadn't had the time. Now, after landing and checking into a hotel room, Morgan had dropped Luke off here, and was returning to pick him up in a few hours.

Luke took a deep breath, and pushed the door open.

The bell tingled lightly. The parlor wasn't honestly busy. A few customers were scattered here and there, and the front counter was vacant of the public and employees. Luke stepped up to the counter and shivered slightly, despite the warmth that the pizza ovens gave off.

Footsteps sounded, and a girl flew out from behind the ovens, hurrying to meet the supposed customer. She stopped.

Sabrina was definetly taller than when Luke had last seen her. Her red hair was pulled back into a messy bun, and her apron was dirty. She tentatively stepped forward.

"I, um...I take it you're not here to place and order, are you?" she said quietly.

Luke shook his head. "No."

Sabrina exhaled. "Bennett," she called, turning towards the kitchen. "I'm gonna leave now. Watch the front, okay?"

Not waiting for a reply, she slipped off her apron, tossed it somewhere, and led Luke outside.

Once the doors had closed behind them, she turned to him. "How did she try to do it?"

Luke was confused. "What?"

"She tried to kill herself, didn't she?"

"Who told you?!"

"I'm not stupid. When Mary goes 10 full days without answering any of my texts, I know something's up." She paused. "I'm also on Facebook," she added quietly.

For a moment, Luke was silent. "She hates me, Sabrina," he said. "I know she's got a good reason to, but I don't know how to fix it." He met her eyes. "You know her best. You've got to help me."

The teenager sighed. "Come with me," she said, pulling him down the sidewalk.

Once they were on their way, Sabrina continued. "What did she try to do?"

Luke swallowed. "Overdose."

"How far did she get?"

Luke shook his head. "Our cousins stopped her. She didn't get to take anything."

Sabrina scoffed. "Well, at least that's better than last time."

Luke stopped dead in his tracks. "Last time?! You mean this isn't the first time?!"

"You mean she didn't tell you?" Sabrina asked quietly.

Luke shook his head in disbelief.

Sabrina didn't meet his eyes. "She...she tried to once before. But she got pretty far before any of us figured it out. Marco found her. She had already," Sabrina got a little choked up. "Already taken them. He called for help, and she was fine afterwards. But she almost..."

For a moment, both were silent. Luke was in complete and utter shock, wondering how on earth Mary couldn't have told him or Morgan and Christina in the time that she had been with them.

"You know how Mary got hurt, right?" Sabrina asked.

Luke nodded. Of course, he knew the REAL reason behind Mary's limp, which was a mishap with her bionics when Donald created the chips years ago, but he didn't think Sabrina needed to know that. "Yeah. The car crash."

Sabrina looked slightly confused. "That's all she told you?" she asked.

Luke nodded.

Sabrina sighed. "Come on."

After another eight or so minutes of walking, the two teenagers reached a destination that made Luke stop.

Before them was the Olsens' old house. And if it had been run down before, than that was nothing compared to this. Parts of the siding were falling off, while the roof was almost completely shattered. The front screen door was hanging haphazardly by a single hinge, and two of the windows were broken.

Luke was uneasy, but seeing as Sabrina walked right inside, he followed.

Ignoring the dust and smell of dampness in the house, Luke trailed Sabrina up the stairs, and into the twins' old bedroom. The room hadn't changed much, except for Mary's few possessions that she had taken with her were missing.

Sabrina pulled open the sliding closet door, and dropped down to her knees. Luke followed suit.

"She never showed you anything in here, did she?" Sabrina asked doubtingly.

Luke shook his head.

Sabrina reached inside the dark closet, and pulled out a large cardboard box that was covered by an old, beige blanket.

"These," Sabrina said, pushing the box over to Luke. "Belong to your sister." And with that, she yanked the blanket off.

Luke was met with a fresh breath of dust, but that wasn't what caught his attention. The box was full of awards. Trophies, medals, plaques...all kinds of awards centered around dance. Some had just the year and rank that Mary had placed. Some had her name engraved. Almost all of them said "1st."

Luke shook his head. "I don't understand," he said. "Mary said she quit after the crash, and these...they go from '05 all the way up to '13."

"That's partly true. She quit for a little while after the crash. Just until her leg healed. But she went back to it."

Luke was still confused. "But...then why does she limp? She couldn't have won all these with a limp like that."

Sabrina was hesistant. "It's a long story."

Luke shrugged.

Sabrina sighed. "Mary's thing's always been hip-hop. She did a little bit of modern and lyrical, but...she was _crazy _good at hip-hop. Your mom was a dancer. She taught, too. After everything with the crash, I guess...I guess Mary felt she couldn't view dance as a hobby. It had to be her career. She felt like she had to please your mom." Sabrina exhaled. "She was always pretty hard on herself. Everything had to be perfect. When we were about 9, I...I convinced her to do ballet. She'd never done it before, but she was pretty flexible, and she'd always done stunts, so...she did it. And she was good, too."

"So, what happened?" Luke asked.

"We didn't have the nicest teacher. She agreed to let Mary take the class on scholarship if she competed. Mary didn't really want to, but she didn't exactly have a choice. Mrs. Alvarez, that was her name, she...she always made Mary do things that...were a little too advanced for her. There were moves that she did that even I didn't do, and I started ballet when I was four." Sabrina swallowed, hoping she wouldn't have to continue, but the look Luke was giving her told her otherwise.

"In September, 2013, Mary went to regionals, and she won. She got first place. And that meant she was going to state. About a week later, we were in the studio, and we were practicing. She had to do a modern routine for states, and part of it was she did a triple turn, and then went into a diving front walkover. We didn't really think it was safe, but...Mrs. Alvarez liked it, so she did it. Well, when she was practicing...Mary did really good, and really _fast _turns. She built up too much momentum. She turned, and when she did the walkover, she didn't land. She was going too fast, so instead of landing on her feet, she landed right on her left knee."

Luke winced.

"She brushed it off, thought. And Marco and me didn't really think anything of it." Sabrina looked anywhere but at Luke. "About two days later, which was five days before states, she started to complain that her knee was hurting. There wasn't any swelling or anything. She just said it hurt. I asked her if it felt like it was pain in the bone or the muscle, but she ignored me. She didn't care. She iced it, and did everything she was supposed to do. But she wouldn't let anyone look at it. Well, she went to states. And she did her routine."

"And what happened?"

"I'm not sure, exactly. The funny thing about the whole situation was that Mary was always really OCD about her landings and her executions. They always had to be perfect. She went to do something...I'm not even sure what it was. It was two back handsprings into a double turn in the air, I think. I don't know. But...when she went to launch into the turn, she must've been off balance. She came down crooked." Sabrina grew quiet. "She hit the ground pretty hard. I think I've only seen Mary cry, like, five times in the past nine years. But when she fell...she _sobbed. _I've never heard someone cry like that."

For a moment, both were silent. Then Sabrina turned to Luke.

"Please don't tell her I told you," she begged. "I just...I thought you should know."

Luke nodded. "So, what do I do?" he asked.

Sabrina shook her head. "Just be honest with her. I won't ask you your side of the story. That's your business, not mine. But I know this: Mary doesn't trust a lot of people, but I think she trusts you more than anyone else. And I don't think she'll stay mad at you if you're honest with her."

"You think so?"

Sabrina nodded. "And one more thing." She reached inside the box, and pulled out a dust-covered DVD. "I knew she'd still have this," she muttered to herself.

She handed the DVD to Luke, who wiped it off on his sleeve. "Watch this. Wait till you're home, and alone. But watch it."

Luke looked uneasy. "Um...I'm kinda grounded right now."

"I don't think they'd mind you breaking rules for that. Just promise me you'll watch it."

Luke nodded. "I promise," he said quietly.

* * *

AN: So, what'd ya think? Please review! :) I hope you liked it! So, yeah, might have been a little depressing, but I just got the idea, and was like, hey? Why not? Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	15. The Video

Chapter 15:

The Video

AN: So, here's chapter 15! And thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews! They mean so much! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Mary went back to school a week later.

Needless to say, she wasn't very keen on it. The school had been lenient, letting her have a good week off before returning. Christina had wanted to keep Mary out for just a little while longer, but the school board had decided against it, and had given Christina, "We have to treat all students the same...she has to come back at some point" speech, and that was why Mary was currently standing at her locker, trying to organize her books.

Every so often, people would pass by her, and give her a look. Some were sympathetic, other laughed right in front of her. Mary didn't know which one she hated more.

She was so engrossed in thought that she didn't even notice a person come up next to her locker until she closed the door, and they took a step towards her.

Mary was startled, but she relaxed slightly when she saw who it was. "Hey," she said quietly.

Cady wouldn't meet her eyes. "Hi. You okay?"

Mary was silent. Neither had talked since it happened, and she didn't really know how to answer.

She shrugged. "Probably better than I was," she answered.

An awkward silence followed.

"Well," Cady said. "I've gotta..get to Bio. I'll, see you later?"

Mary nodded.

Cady headed towards the doors that led to the stairs.

"Cady?" Mary called after her.

Cady turned. "Yeah?"

Mary hesitated. "Thanks."

Cady smiled slightly. "No problem."

After Cady had left, Mary tightened her grip on her books, and jumped when a voice said close to her, "Hey, Mary."

She spun around, and her heart dropped to her stomach. "What do you want, Finch?" she said grouchily.

"Could I, um...talk to you for a second?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Look, about the thing that happened with Facebook, and Luke, it...I just want you to know that it wasn't Luke's idea."

Mary scoffed. "Really? And why am I having such a hard time believing you?"

"Look, Mary, I know you hate me right now, and you've got every reason to, but just hear me out. Please."

Mary exhaled. "Shoot."

"Jake thought, that it'd be funny if we teased you online. Me and Luke didn't really want to do it, but Jake said that you'd just brush it off. That you'd laugh."

"Well, I didn't."

"I-I know. And I just wanted to say that...I'm really sorry. I didn't think you'd take it that hard."

Mary was silent for a moment. Then she sighed. "Fine. Apology accepted."

Finch let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. "So, are you and Luke talking?"

Mary scoffed. "No. He hasn't said a word to me. Either he doesn't think he did anything wrong, or he doesn't feel guilty, or-"

"Oh, he feels guilty, trust me," Finch interrupted. "He barely talks. He doesn't even sit with us at lunch anymore." Finch dropped his voice low. "He and Jake almost got in a fist fight the other day."

Mary couldn't help but feel bad. "Are you serious?"

Finch nodded.

Mary looked away.

"Well, I'll see you later," Finch said. He gave her a genuine smile, then headed off in the opposite direction.

And Mary actually smiled back.

* * *

"_Jessie!_" Zuri whined. "Please hurry! We're going to be late!"

"Zuri, we have over an hour before we have to be there!" Jessie stated.

Ravi and Zuri's school was having a sports fundraiser that evening. All children in grades 2-5 split up into teams, and whoever had the best score all around, won a _free _trip to Dairy Queen for all the ice cream they could eat. And to Zuri, it was heaven.

Emma was tagging along as moral support for Zuri, and with a video camera to capture all of Ravi's fails. Mary had been invited, but declined. And Luke expressed absolutely no interest whatsoever.

"But we need to get there _now!_" Zuri continued. "My team needs time to get ready! Awesomeness doesn't take five minutes!"

Ravi scoffed from where he was leaning against the piano. "Awesomeness does not win a game, Zuri. Strategy is the real weapon."

"Oh, yeah? And what's your strategy for this?" Zuri gave a swift punch in the arm.

"Ouch!" Ravi exclaimed.

"Will you two stop it?!" Jessie said from the stairs. "Go downstairs. I'll meet you in the lobby."

Reaching the top of the stairs, Jessie headed down the hallway towards Luke's room, peeking through Mary's open door on the way in.

Mary was curled up on her bed, fast asleep. Jessie couldn't help but worry slightly. Mary had been rather silent since she returned from school, had refused dinner, and now she was sleeping? Jessie bit her lip. Mary _never, ever _slept during the day. It messed up her sleep schedule way too much.

Trying to shrug off her concerns, Jessie continued on her trek. She knocked lightly on Luke's door, then stepped inside. "Hey," she said.

Luke was laying on his bed, tossing his basketball. "Hey," he said.

Jessie got right down to the point. "I'm giving you your electronics back."

The ball rolled off the bed and bounced onto the floor. "What?" Luke asked, sitting up.

Jessie continued. "Ravi, Zuri, and I are going to their fundraiser. Emma's coming with us. You, Mary, and Bertram are the only ones here, and I don't want you to die of boredom." She took a step closer to Luke's bed. "Keep an eye on Mary, too. She's been a little weird today. She's sleeping now, so don't make too much noise. But watch her. And _call me _if there are any issues. Got it?"

Luke nodded.

"Luke-"

"Okay! I get it! I'll watch her!"

"Thank you." And with that, Jessie left the room.

Once Luke was sure she was gone, he snatched the DVD Sabrina had given him from his nightstand, inserted it into his DVD player, and pressed play.

The beginning of the disc was just stupid stuff. Old videos of Mary, Sabrina, and Marco goofing off. Sporadically, short videos of Mary and Sabrina's different dance routines appeared. Luke watched some, and sped through some. The one thing he couldn't get over, however, was Mary's skill. She was just so _good. _Every move she made was practically flawless. It was incredible.

As the end of the video neared, the screen changed, and a video appeared. Mary was standing on a stage, poised in a starting position that Luke had seen, but couldn't quite recall the name of. The music started, and song that Luke didn't know. But Mary began a fluid modern routine. Some of her moves were incredibly advanced for someone her age, but Mary delivered them like she was a professional who had been doing them for years.

Throughout the dance, Luke could tell that Mary was in pain. Her face still held the cheesy smile that all performers wore, but Luke could see that it hurt to use her left leg. Then, Mary did a cartwheel and two aerials and stopped at a corner of the stage. Luke's heart sped up. He knew what was coming.

Mary sprung into a round-off, and executed three backhandsprings. However, Luke noticed that when she landed on the second, she grimaced in pain. And when she landed on the third, she landed so that almost no weight was on her left leg. And that was how she went up into her turn.

Mary had been trying to do a double twist in the air. However, she had too much momentum built up, and an awkward start. When she twisted, she came down too early.

Her left leg hit the ground first.

She landed with her heel, and her knee hyperextended at a horrible angle. Then her knee gave out, and she twisted and hit the floor with a loud **bang! **

The crowd murmured as Mary curled into a ball on the stage. Her sobs were loud, gut-wrenching, heart-breaking sounds that made Luke feel sick. He shut the video off.

He didn't need to see anymore.

Until a strange sound made him turn.

* * *

AN: So, what'd ya think? I wrote that whole thing in one shot, and now I'm super tired! Anyway, have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	16. Mary & Migraines

Chapter 16:

Mary &amp; Migraines

AN: So, here's chapter 16! I hope you like it! And remember, I am always open to story suggestions! **And there is vomiting at the beginning of this chapter! You have been warned! **Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Luke turned towards the door and listened carefully. The soft patter of rain made it muffled, but Luke heard it.

It was the sound of someone...retching?

Thoroughly confused, Luke quickly hopped off his bed, and stepped into the hallway. Standing in his doorway, the evening silence was broken by Bertram's occasional snores in his bedroom. Then, Luke heard it again. It sounded like someone was choking.

Quickly crossing the hallway, Luke stopped in his sister's open doorway, knocking on the door. "Mary?" he called. He glanced inside the room.

All the lights were off in Mary's bedroom. The curtains were drawn, and the rain clouds that covered the sky made the room even darker.

Luke looked around the room, and realized that the sound of someone throwing up was coming from Mary's bathroom. _Oh, crud, _Luke thought. He was definitely not as afraid of gross substances as the rest of his siblings, but he really didn't do puke.

Pushing open the ajar door, Luke peeked around the corner. "Mary?"

The lights were off in the bathroom, too, but Luke could see Mary's hunched form kneeling in front of her toilet. "You okay?"

Mary let out a sort of whimper-groan that Luke figured was supposed to translate to "no." He flicked the lights on.

Mary's hand flew to her eyes. "Oh, God, don't turn the lights on!" She cried quietly as she slipped off her knees so that she could sit leaning against her bathtub. "I've got a migraine."

Luke quickly turned the lights back off.

For a moment, both were silent; Mary, sitting and breathing heavily with her eyes closed, and Luke, not knowing what to do.

"You think you're done?" Luke asked her.

Mary hesitated, then nodded.

Luke stepped carefully towards her, unsure if there were any puddles of vomit on the floor. He extended his hand to her, and Mary took it.

She stood and swayed for a moment, but regained her balance.

Luke moved her so that she was in front of him, so he could catch her if she fell. "Why, um...why don't you change, and I'll go find the painkillers," he suggested. Even in the dim light, Luke could see that Mary's shirt was soaked in sweat.

His sister nodded, and Luke left the room and jogged down the stairs. He headed quickly into the kitchen, where Bertram was sitting at the kitchen table with a magazine, while the spinning floor vacuum circled the kitchen.

"Bertram, I need two Tylenol. Mary's got a migraine."

Bertram looked slightly hesitant. Jessie had hid every medication in the house, and Bertram had been instructed to not let _any _of the children near the hiding place. "Are you sure?" the butler asked.

Luke scoffed. "Well, she just threw up two gallons in her bathroom. If you don't believe me, you can go look."

Bertram scrunched up his face in disgust. "That's okay, I believe you." He rose from his chair, disappeared to who knows where, and returned about a minute later with the two capsules. "Here. I'm going to take my nap, now. Don't bother me." With that, he left the room.

Luke headed to one of the cabinets, retrieved a glass, and began filling it with tap water. He sighed. A sick Mary was so _not _what he wanted to deal with. Mary had been sick exactly one time since she had been adopted. It had been in early August, when she had caught the flu so bad that Jessie had debated whether a visit to the ER was necessary. Mary got incredibly irritable when she was sick, and Luke really didn't want to have to tread on eggshells the rest of the night.

When the glass was full, Luke turned off the sink, then headed back to the main stairs. When he came through the swinging door, he realized that Mary was about halfway down the stairs, tightly gripping the railing as she made her way slowly down.

"Why aren't you in bed?" Luke asked her.

Mary kept her eyes nearly closed. "Can't sleep...sheets are too sweaty."

Suddenly, the room spun, and Mary swayed, barely catching herself on the railing. Luke quickly set the glass and pills on the side table by the couch, and hurried over to help her.

He reached out his hand, but Mary waved him off. "I'm fine. I'm just, dizzy, that's all."

"That's your definition of fine?"

Suddenly, Mary swayed again, and she would've fallen face first down the rest of the stairs if Luke hadn't have caught her, scooped her up, and hurriedly deposited her on the couch.

"You didn't have to drop me," Mary groaned, clutching her head.

"I didn't drop you," Luke said defensively, grabbing the blanket that rested on the back of the couch and draping it over his sister as she laid down. "I...roughly set you down."

On other days, Mary probably would've laughed at that, even in her pain. Now, she didn't even respond.

Luke handed her the pills and water, which Mary gratefully took.

"Thanks," she said quietly. And Luke couldn't tell if it was because of her migraine, or her coldness to him.

Luke sighed as he sat down on the chair by the couch, while Mary bundled under the blanket, suddenly cold, and tried to sleep.

It was going to be a long night.

* * *

AN: So, what'd you think? Uh, oh! Mary's sick and Luke is stuck taking care of her! What will happen?! Will they make up? Will they fight? Haha Sorry, I just love torturing you guys. I know that chapter was kinda bad, but oh, well. I love doing sibling bonding fics between Luke and Mary, it's just hard for me cause I'm an only child! But, if you guys like it, that's all that matters! And I know it was really short, but I wrote it like, all in one sitting. Oh, and if there are any fics you'd like to see me write, just tell me! Anyway, have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17:

AN: So, here's chapter 17! So sorry for the wait! I promise you that won't happen again. But I'm taking all honors classes at school, so I'm super busy. Anyway, I just kinda slapped this chapter in here, so sorry if it stinks. But, I hope you like it! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

Whoever invented the Nintendo DS, which didn't need electricity, Luke wanted to hug them. Because by 11:30 that night, the power went out.

At first, the lamp beside Luke flickered. Then it went out completely, plunging the twins into total darkness. Mary was sound asleep, but the crash of thunder that followed the blackness snapped her awake.

For a moment, both were silent.

"Well, that's great," Mary said eventually.

Luke scoffed in agreement. "Yep."

"Where's Bertram?"

"Who knows..."

For a while, both were awkwardly silent, the tension suffocating the room. Luke was surprised when Mary spoke.

"Was what Finch said true?" she asked.

Luke turned to her. "What?"

"Finch talked to me today," Mary explained, sitting up. "He said that...all the stuff on Facebook, he said it was Jake's idea, not yours. Is that true?"

Luke hesitated, then nodded. "Yeah."

"Why'd you do it?"

Luke exhaled. "I don't know. Jake said that it would be funny. He thought you'd take it as a joke."

"Well, I didn't. Do you even know how that stuff made me feel, Luke?"

Luke didn't say anything.

"You made me WANT to go back to Detroit, Luke. DETROIT. Remember that place? Where we got treated like crap?! Where we got beat, and dad was a total-"

"I get it, okay?!" Luke took a deep breath. "You have to understand, I would NEVER do _anything _to intentionally hurt you, and if I thought for a second that you were going to take offense at what we said, I never would have done it."

"But you didn't think! You never stop and think about how your actions will affect people, but you don't care!"

"Hey! We're not the ones who blew it out of proportion! It was the rest of the school!"

"But it wasn't the school who insulted me to my face in _public _and completely ditched me."

Luke was silent for a moment. "Alright, I know, that was crappy. I'm sorry."

"Yeah. And that wasn't Jake, that was you."

"You don't get it!" Luke exclaimed. "I don't have anything going for me. I'm not smart, I'm not some kinda "chick magnet" no matter what I tell people, sure, I'm athletic, but there're plenty of guys better than me. Popularity is the only thing I have."

Mary's tone softened. "Luke, you have things going for you. You-"

"-dance? Yeah, I dance. But people only get impressed with dancing for so long. And I'm pretty sure I've exhausted everyone at Walden." He sat down next to her. "I know how high school works. And this whole situation is what I didn't want you to walk into. And the way you were acting, it was like you didn't care if you were setting yourself up, and that made _me _mad, because I don't want you to get hurt, and-"

Mary wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight hug, startling Luke. Neither twin was very affectionate. Luke only got sentimental when he wanted something, and regardless of if she wanted something or not, Mary was definitely not a touchy-feely person.

But Luke gratefully returned her hug, and for the first time in a long while, they both smiled.

* * *

AN: Boo, that stank! Yeah, I know. But I felt really bad not writing for so long! Again, sorry for the wait! And Please review! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


	18. Epilogue

Chapter 18:

Epilogue

AN: So, this is it! The final chapter! I've really enjoyed writing this story, and interacting with all of you. I hope you enjoy this chapter!** And please go to my profile and answer an important poll that I've created regarding my "Jessie" series. If you can't answer the poll, here it is. Please leave a response in the comments: All story prompts you would like to see may be selected. These are prompts I have received/created. 1. A story where one of the twins gets sick (Please specify who.) 2. A Mary/Kaz romance story. 3. Another bionic action story. 4. Any story prompt you would like to suggest that is within my guidelines: (i.e., no slash, incest, inappropriate content, ect.) I WILL give you credit in the story. **Anyway, have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)

* * *

By the time Jessie got through the storm and back to the penthouse with Emma, Ravi, and Zuri in tow, (Zuri's team having come out of the competition victorious, and Ravi coming out with a black eye,) it was nearly 2 a.m. They found the twins still on the couch, Mary's migraine still there, but bearable as she and Luke watched _The Croods _on his IPad. School was called off the next day, and everyone was glad of that.

It didn't take long for things to get back to normal in the penthouse. Luke and Mary became close again. Cady became Mary's best friend, and they formed their own group.

And the next time Mary received an insulting mysterious message, she found she didn't even care.

Until Luke stole her phone to see who the number belonged to.

Needless to say, Luke didn't talk to his friend Jake much after that.

Bryn didn't try to bother Mary after that. A little snicker or insulting comment here and there, but she couldn't get to her.

And when Jessie got a call from the school saying that Luke had told Bryn to knock it off and had physically threatened her, Jessie found she didn't mind going to school to pick him up one bit.

* * *

AN: Okay, who agrees that that was horrible? But oh, well. I'm tired. Anyway, incase you forgot, I'll put the pull stuff down here again. **Please leave a response in the comments: All story prompts you would like to see may be selected. These are prompts I have received/created. 1. A story where one of the twins gets sick (Please specify who.) 2. A Mary/Kaz romance story. 3. Another bionic action story. 4. Any story prompt you would like to suggest that is within my guidelines: (i.e., no slash, incest, inappropriate content, ect.) I WILL give you credit in the story. **Thank you guys so much for your continued support during this story! Please answer the poll, and I'll see you soon! Have a great day! God Bless You, fellow writers! :)


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